Ski weekends to see peak pricing at Cannon Mountain, with costlier weekends for seniors
Sep. 15—CONCORD — Senior citizens will pay significantly more to ski on the weekends at state-owned Cannon Mountain, especially at peak times, after a legislative budget panel approved an increase in lift ticket prices for the 2024-2025 season.
The price hikes that affect nearly all skiers should raise about $400,000 a year.
After six months on the job, General Manager Jace Wirth said it's the final step toward erasing a $1.5 million budget deficit from the previous year.
"This kind of completes the puzzle to balance the budget at the end of the day," Wirth told the Legislative Fiscal Committee last Friday.
"I am optimistic with a good snow year that our revenues will advance beyond this, but it's a starting point."
Senate Deputy Minority Leader Cindy Rosenwald, a Nashua Democrat, was the lone opponent on the panel to the increases. She pointed out that, coupled with a lift ticket price two years ago, seniors on peak weekends will pay 53% more than they did in 2021.
"It just seems like you are doing it on the backs of seniors," Rosenwald said.
Senate President Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro, said Cannon Mountain rates have stayed well below what's charged at privately owned ski areas such as Loon Mountain and Bretton Woods.
"This is a move that is long overdue," Bradley saidm adding that the changes keep in place some healthy discounts.
A new feature is that Cannon will charge more for "peak" periods that Wirth said has become the standard for ski resorts throughout North America.
Next winter the peak will include the week after Christmas Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend and the following weekend in January, school vacation week for Massachusetts public schools, and all weekends in February and all Saturdays in March.
A single-day ticket for adults buying online will go up 3% from $96 to $99 during standard times, and 19% higher at peak when that single-day ticket will cost $114.
For seniors over 65, the price goes up 22% from $73 to $89 during standard season weekend rates and 43% higher at peak when they will pay $104 a day to ski.
Teenagers from 13 to 17 years old will pay 7% more, $83 to $89 at standard times and at peak it goes up to 25% more when they'll also pay $104.
The higher adult charge at Cannon during peak ($114) would be more in line with what's currently charged during peak at Loon Mountain ($125), Bretton Woods ($119), Attitash ($113) and Waterville Mountain ($109), Wirth said.
Last March, Wirth took over management of Cannon, coming from Steamboat Springs Resort in Colorado where skiers pay up to $300 a day.
"Only about one-fifth of skiers are paying full-price ticket," Wirth said about Cannon's revenue profile. "The rest of the skiers are season pass holders and split evenly with those on heavily discounted programs.
"As I was evaluating demand and products, I looked at how we can drive additional paid ticket visitation."
Three times as many seniors ski during the week when it's free
Rep. Peter Leishman, D-Peterborough, questioned the increase in lift tickets for those who served in the military.
The online price for them will go up 10% during standard times, from $58 to $64, and 36% at peak when the cost will be $79 a ticket.
Wirth noted the higher price still offers a significant discount.
These changes don't alter that seniors will be able to ski for free at Cannon during the week.
More than three times as many tickets during the week last season were sold to seniors than the number they bought on weekends.
The cost for state workers who ski midweek will go up $2 ($48 to $50) at standard time and $8 or 19% to $61 during peak periods.
In-state residents get a discount skiing Wednesdays at Cannon. The cost for that lift ticket will go up 20% from $45 to $54.
The increases for seniors on weekends will generate about $20,000 in revenue; the lion's share of the revenue ($260,000) will come from the higher rate charged to adult skiers.
The cost for winter passengers and not skiers to ride the Cannon Tram to the summit will be $29, up from $25 for standard times and $34 or 36% higher when they ride up when it's peak season.
The new schedule doesn't change the rates charged at the nearby Flume Gorge or to ride the Cannon Aerial Tram during the summer season.
A costly electricity rate increase accounted for more than half of last year's budget deficit, Wirth said.
State officials negotiated a lower rate that will reduce that deficit by about $600,000, he added.
Wirth said other financial efficiency moves he's made at the mountain will offset about $300,000 of that deficit.
Two years ago, this same committee balked when the previous general manager asked to raise senior weekend ski rates by $15.
In response, John DeVivo brought the request down to $5 and dropped the idea of charging summer hikers to park.
